{"id":816340,"date":"2026-05-29T09:49:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T09:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/?p=816340"},"modified":"2026-05-29T09:49:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T09:49:01","slug":"the-leiva-law-firm-receives-martindalehubbells-highest-rating-for-ethical-standards-and-legal-ability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/the-leiva-law-firm-receives-martindalehubbells-highest-rating-for-ethical-standards-and-legal-ability_816340.html","title":{"rendered":"The Leiva Law Firm Receives Martindale-Hubbell’s Highest Rating for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Peer review ratings carry weight because they come from the lawyers and judges who see the work up close in court. A 4.9 score from colleagues evaluating both legal ability and ethical standards reflects the standard our clients, in matters as serious as homicide defense and traumatic brain injury, are entitled to expect.” Manuel E. Leiva, Founder, The Leiva Law Firm.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The Leiva Law Firm, a Fairfax, Virginia criminal defense and personal injury practice, has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating with a 4.9 out of 5.0 peer review score for legal ability and ethical standards. The rating, held by roughly 10 percent of U.S. attorneys, is awarded only after confidential peer review by other lawyers and judges.<\/div>\n

FAIRFAX, Va. – May 29, 2026 –<\/strong> The Leiva Law Firm, a Fairfax, Virginia, criminal defense and personal injury practice founded by attorney Manuel E. Leiva, has earned the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the legal industry’s highest peer review designation, with a score of 4.9 out of 5.0 for legal ability and ethical standards.<\/p>\n

The AV Preeminent rating is held by approximately 10 percent of attorneys in the United States and is awarded only after a confidential peer review by other lawyers and judges, according to Martindale-Hubbell<\/a>. Manuel Leiva, licensed by the Virginia State Bar since 1998, focuses his practice on criminal defense and personal injury and tries cases throughout courts in Northern Virginia and the federal district court of the Eastern District of Virginia. The Leiva Law Firm<\/a> operates two offices, a primary location at 3955 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax and an appointment-only office at 11710 Plaza America Drive in Reston, and serves clients in English and Spanish.<\/p>\n

How the Rating Is Determined<\/strong><\/p>\n

Martindale-Hubbell has facilitated peer review ratings of attorneys for more than 130 years. Reviewers, who are practicing lawyers and members of the judiciary in the same areas of practice as the rated attorney, evaluate colleagues on five criteria: legal knowledge, analytical capability, judgment, communication ability, and legal experience.<\/p>\n

Ratings are issued on a 1.0 to 5.0 scale. A score between 4.5 and 5.0, combined with a “very high” rating for general ethical standards, qualifies an attorney for the AV Preeminent designation. The Leiva Law Firm’s 4.9 peer score reflects responses from Virginia attorneys familiar with Manuel Leiva’s work in criminal and civil matters.<\/p>\n

Additional Professional Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Martindale-Hubbell rating adds to an established record of peer and publication recognition for Manuel E. Leiva<\/a>. He has been named a Top Lawyer in Criminal Defense by Northern Virginia Magazine each year from 2021 through 2025, listed as a Top Criminal Defense Lawyer by Washingtonian Magazine since 2017, a top lawyer by Superlawyers, and recognized by Best Lawyers in America in Criminal Defense in multiple consecutive years.<\/p>\n

He also holds an Avvo rating of 10.0 out of 10 with a Clients’ Choice designation and a 5.0 out of 5.0 client review average across 13 reviews. The Fairfax office Google Business Profile carries a 5.0 out of 5.0 average rating.<\/p>\n

Trial Experience Behind the Rating<\/strong><\/p>\n

Manuel Leiva began his career as an Assistant Public Defender in Fairfax County, where he handled serious felony cases for clients who could not afford private counsel. He later joined private litigation firms, defending physicians in medical malpractice suits and representing plaintiffs in wrongful death actions, before founding The Leiva Law Firm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Over more than 25 years of trial experience, he has tried cases at every level of severity, from traffic offenses to capital murder. Results from the firm’s caseload include:<\/p>\n